CLENDENIN, WEST VIRGINIA

__________________________________Disaster Relief Mission Trip

UPDATE: 2017 MISSION TRIPS

In late June 2016, massive flooding ravished through the Appalachian hills of West Virginia. Many towns were affected by the floods, however by the grace of God, our ministry home of Rosedale, WV was passed by with very little flooding and damage. In the days after the floods, community members in Rosedale, alongside our Next Step volunteer teams put our work in Rosedale on pause and moved to neighboring towns to assist with the response efforts. For six weeks, Next Step teams “mucked” and assisted homes in nearby Clendenin, who experienced some of the worst flooding in West Virginia.

Residents of Clendenin described the “whole town” as being under water, with floodwaters reaching nearly 35 feet in areas on the community.

The storm left extensive damage but also opened the door to some beautiful new relationships in Clendenin. Because of these two factors, Next Step has made the decision to continue its relief efforts in Clendenin, WV for the summer of 2017.

All Next Step participants on summer mission trips will work alongside our friends from Rosedale in an effort to assist and support our neighbors in Clendenin. Due to the nature of response work, the specific projects are not determined at this time. However, projects will include clean-up, interior repair work such as dry-wall and flooring and possibly new home builds or remodels.

We invite you to join us in this opportunity. Thank you for your prayers and support during this time. For any questions or to register to serve in Clendenin next summer please contact missions@nextstepministries.com

THE MISSION

Located in the heart of West Virginia, Braxton County presents the best of rural community living as well as the challenges. You will be amazed by the spectacular beauty of the mountains, but also overwhelmed by the isolation and lack of opportunity these same mountains and hills create. There are incredible physical needs of the families who call Braxton County home.

The Appalachian region is considered one of the most impoverished regions of the United States. Only 42% of individuals living in Braxton County graduate from high school, unemployment is high, and more than half of the households fall well below the poverty level. A significant number of homes lack adequate plumbing and kitchen facilities. But again, don’t forget about the beauty.

Our partnership began in 2012, when we met Dani and Clark Ramsey who moved to Rosedale as missionaries over 10 years prior to our coming. Initially, the community was pretty skeptical of our arrival. The perception of ‘outsiders’ in Rosedale comes with a lot of weight. But through our partnership with the Ramsey family, we have been able to invest, develop, and commit to deeply rooted friendships, which has led to trust.

Day in and day out the Ramsey’s continue to invest in the community spiritually, physically, and emotionally year-round. Their goal was and is still clear: to invest in the Rosedale community in a way that reflects and shares the love of Christ. From the beauty that already exists, they have seen more and more beauty emerge as the community of Rosedale continues to unify, seek Christ and His word, and work alongside each outside group that visits the community.

During your time in West Virginia, many of the work projects you will work on center around families who struggle to provide basic amenities for their children, or the growing elderly population living on a fixed income with no money for home repairs. But it doesn’t stop with physical building. Relationships will form. You will learn new skills from the community members themselves. The beauty that has existed all along in this community will be made clear as you share in a week of fellowship with the heart and core of Rosedale. It is humbling to unite with Braxton County and the vision of transformation God has placed on this community’s heart.

QUICK INFO

DATES AVAILABLE

Call for Availability on Crossed out Dates or for Winter/Spring Break Trips

AGE GROUPS ALLOWED

Middle School Students

High School Students

College Students

TRIP COST

$419/person

*This includes all accommodations, food, work project materials and programming.

TYPICAL WORK

Construction 75%

Community Activities / Immersion 10%

Relational Ministry 15%

PAST PROJECTS

FAMILIES HELPING FAMILIES

For the past few summers a local man named Steve has volunteered to help his neighbors alongside of our summer teams. This began with a few weeks here and there, and eventually Steve was volunteering with our staff, students, and neighbors all summer long. After a house fire a few years ago, Steve’s family of four began dreaming of building a new home one-day. This past summer that dream became a reality. Although he continues helping with projects in the community year round; in the summer of 2015, Steve became the leader of his own home build, and plans to continue with teams in 2016. Also in 2015, Steve welcomed Next Step staff and neighbors to join him as he and his family were baptized in the creek in front of their new home.

HONORING OUR VETERANS

The tiny rural town of Rosedale has a tremendous amount of veterans. The whole community was concerned for one particular veteran who remained homeless with his family after multiple tours in Iraq. Everyone wanted to help Jerry, but no one had the resources. Because of the long-term commitment Next Step makes to communities, a full build began in 2012 and finished in 2014. Jerry designed the home that he, his wife, and son now live in. This beautiful hilltop home is located on a farm full of therapeutic animals for our wounded warrior.

MS. LILY’S HOME

Nearing her 70’s, Ms. Lily tells the story of how at the age of 17, she was in a tragic accident and became totally blind. Over the past few summers she has graciously welcomed teams into her home. Ms. Lily was not able to get in and out of her house for church, doctors’ appointments or anything else, if there was any rain. Teams labored all summer-long to build a sixty-foot ramp to give access for her wheelchair. She always encourages others to view life from a different perspective, and draws her strength and love from the Lord.

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

THE RAMSEY FAMILY

Clark and Dani Ramsey have been serving as missionaries in Rosedale, WV for over 12 years now. It has been an uphill battle to gain the trust of the community, but the Ramsey’s have truly established themselves in the community, and play an integral role in serving and encouraging the people of Rosedale.

The Ramsey family is involved in many ways: operate the Rosedale Community Center; develop and coordinate Christ-centered philanthropic events and programs; lead Bible Studies and mentor/disciple community members; perform renovations & other building projects on homes within Rosedale and the surrounding areas; tutor and teach literacy classes; and host and lead mission groups year-round.

CENTRAL WEST VIRGINIA OUTREACH CENTER

The CWVOC is a non-profit, faith-based warehouse that provides discounted supplies to their members year round. Their model is based on the idea that neighbors should be helping neighbors. They pour discounted and cost effective materials into the community of Braxton County and have supported Next Step work projects over the past few years.

Many days in the summer are affected by rain. If the roads into Rosedale become too dangerous to travel on, we often partner with this warehouse to keep your students working throughout the day! The staff members at the warehouse are wonderful. This meaningful work can be done right next to locals that have the same goals as your group: to help the community of Braxton County.

WORSHIP

EVENING PROGRAMMING

WORSHIP MUSICWe’ve been told our worship experience is where summer camp meets mission trip. We put together bands from all over the country to lead your students in powerful worship every night. These talented and Christ-centered musicians will help show your students that worship can be fun, worship can be exciting, and worship can bring a joy they have maybe never experienced before.

CHALLENGING MESSAGESIt is our goal to bring your students closer to Christ this week. One way we do this is through challenging evening messages. Whether your students are new to the whole God thing or devoted Christians, these messages will help them understand Christ is alive and working in their lives today and a personal relationship with Him is available.

ORIGINAL VIDEO SERIESEvery summer we produce an original video series that coincides with the evening messages. This video series is our attempt to reach your students in yet another way with powerful stories of Christ in action. We’ve featured speakers such as Francis Chan, Shane Claiborne and Propaganda. You can watch some of our past video series in our Media Section.

MYSTEP FOLLOW-UP

MyStep is an online program solely dedicated to helping your students, your church, or your ministry take the next step in a commitment to Jesus Christ. Whether you just came back from a mission trip through Next Step, or you’re just looking for another way to strengthen your faith, MyStep is for you! We created a safe environment for students to explore the faith, and experience God in new and amazing ways!

Devo Stories are one of MyStep’s most popular features. We have over 365 short video story illustrations that show the many different ways God is working in our daily lives. Whether it’s a comical lesson about the consequences of stealing or a serious conversation about a parents’ divorce, these stories help students understand God in new and real ways.

Another feature is the Prayer Wall, which provides an open and anonymous prayer forum for anyone to share their praises and concerns, and be prayed for throughout the year. Know our team is praying for these requests.

Both of these features can be installed for free on your mobile device. Simply search for Devo Stories or Prayer Wall on your phone or tablet’s app store. This makes staying connected to God and each other easier than ever!

LOGISTICS

ACCOMODATIONS

The trip is hosted at Heritage Baptist Church in Pinch, WV. We will sleep here, eat breakfast here, do our morning devos, and head out to our worksites in Clendenin, about 20 minutes away. At the end of the work day you’ll head back to HBC, take showers, have some free time and get ready for dinner! Worship will follow dinner, in Heritage’s sanctuary. In the church there are bunk beds, and cots to sleep on, depending on which room assignment you are given. Team leaders will work with you a week or two before your trip to let you know exactly what you’ll need for bedding (air mattresses will be needed for bunk beds). There are bathrooms, a shower trailer with individual stalls, and a large sanctuary. There’s a gas station and grocery store within 10 minutes of the church. Charleston Yeager Airport (CRW) is 15 minutes from HBC, and Charleston WV, the capital city is 20 minutes away

TRANSPORTATION

Van Accessible (Not Bus Accessible)

This mission site is not bus accessible. Vehicles with four-wheel drive are recommended. Some groups choose to fly and then rent vehicles for the week. The nearest airport is the Charleston Yeager Airport (CRW) in Charleston, WV and is a 15 minute drive from our mission site in Gassaway.

FAQS

Yes. Next Step Ministries exists to give middle school, high school, and college students an opportunity to explore their faith, experience God, and extend service to others on a mission trip. Students are our top priority and safety is always our primary concern. Thankfully, because of our long-term commitment and involvement within the community we have developed many close relationships with the locals. The community is familiar with Next Step and we’ve worked hard to humbly earn their trust and respect. Because of these close friendships we are the first to know if something out of the ordinary comes up or is unsafe.

The trip lodging facility will always be locked to ensure safety. During the day, students will be serving at homes where Next Step has already visited the family and knows who they are. Furthermore, community members select these projects, so we can ensure they are safe places for us to be. This network of community friendships allows for Next Step to engage with the community in a way that is trusted and safe.

On the first night of the trip, our staff will train and equip your team to understand safety on the construction work sites. If you’re interested in learning more about this, please visit our Construction Safety page.

We are more than happy to talk in more detail about safety on this trip. Please feel free to contact our office for further conversation regarding trip safety.

We are committed to never being in an area where we feel students are at a heightened risk to their physical, spiritual or emotional health. However, we understand we are serving in a community where safety concerns surround us at a distance. For that reason, we have created Safety Procedures available for the main leader of your trip on the Trip Dashboard. You can access this information at anytime leading up to your trip.

For summer mission trips you must have a minimum of five participants to be eligible for a group. If you have less than five participants please contact our office. The maximum number of people will depend on location capacity and availability. Please call our office to learn more about the special requirements for spring mission trips.

Our office staff is available to help with this process. Please contact our office to learn more about how to reserve your spots. You can always add people to your group, as long as there is space available.

Next Step Ministries offers trips for middle school, high school, and college groups. Some trips are reserved for specific age groups and other trips are mixed ages. Please contact our office with your preferences and we will provide you with a list of available trips. Middle school trips are for students going into 6th, 7th, or 8th grade. High school trips are for students going into 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade. College trips are for ages 18-25.

Each location has a different max capacity, so please contact our office to learn more about spaces available. In the event that we are fully booked for the trip you are interested in, we can put you on a wait list or help find alternative trip options. To avoid these delays, we recommend registering for your trip as soon as you can!

The deposit is $50 per participant and due 30 days after online registration. The deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable. March 15 is the last day to cancel participants. Note, if you cancel participants prior to March 15 the deposit money will be lost. If you need to make cancellations after March 15, your church will still be responsible for paying the full fee for all participant registrations reserved. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact our office and we would be happy to discuss in more detail.

No, we do not affiliate with a particular denomination. Next Step Ministries is an interdenominational organization and we partner with hundreds of churches from all different denominations on our mission trips. Please see our Statement of Faithto learn more about what we believe. In simple terms, we stick to the basics of the Gospel. Our foundation for ministry is to provide opportunities for students to connect and grow in a personal relationship with Christ.

Next Step Ministries works alongside community leaders, non-profit organizations, and the local church in order to line up work projects. Next Step Partnership Coordinators live and serve within the community year round and are well connected. Next Step collaborates with the community to plan the projects you will be working on in advance.

A Next Step Partnership Coordinator facilitates community partnerships, lines up projects, leads the summer staff, and coordinates other logistics such as lodging and accommodations. The trip will be facilitated by 8-10 energetic, mission-minded, and highly trained college interns. The site staff will include a construction team, worship team, speaker, meal coordinators, and administrative leaders to guide you through the week.

You will most likely be attending a trip with 2-4 other youth groups. All groups will share sleeping quarters and we will have meals and worship together as a large group. Most of our mission site locations can accommodate for 80-100 volunteers each week. For work projects, we love to mix students and encourage new friendships to form, but also understand that many groups prefer not to have their group split up for different work projects. Please let our office staff know your preference and we will plan accordingly to accommodate your preferences.

During the mission trip it is important that we make every effort to dress respectfully, modestly, and appropriately. We will be working hard serving in the community so it is best to wear old, comfortable, and modest clothes. Please understand there may be different cultural norms in the other partnering churches and/or community you are visiting for one week. While certain clothing may be acceptable in your hometown, it might not be appropriate for the mission trip.

Please review the dress code below and pack accordingly. If you have any questions, please contact our office at missions@nextstepministries.com or 608-514-4051.

Shirts: All trip participants should wear either a short-sleeve or long-sleeve t-shirt on the work projects. You may wear tank tops or sleeveless shirts in the evening during free time, dinner, and worship. Tank tops must be modest. Please note, no spaghetti strap tank tops or ripped/torn cut-off shirts. All sleeveless shirts must have a hem.

Pants/Shorts: All trip participants should wear modest pants or shorts at all times on the mission trip. Please adhere to the following rules:

Please be mindful of the length of your shorts. Follow the “fingertip length” rule to determine if your shorts are appropriate length. To do this, stand with your arms straight at your side and place your palm against the side of your legs. The length of your shorts should be at your fingertips or longer. Spandex pants/shorts are NOT allowed on the mission trip at anytime. This includes yoga pants or spandex athletic shorts.

Bathing Suits

Ladies must wear a one-piece swim suit or wear a t-shirt over a two-piece swim suit. Males must wear swim trunks that are long enough for the “fingertip length” rule mentioned above.

The trip cost is the same for students and adults. The cost covers all meals, materials, and lodging. The only cost not included is for transportation. You will need to provide your own vehicle for every day of the trip.

The trip begins on Sunday evening. Please plan to arrive between 3:00-5:00 pm. Our friendly staff will welcome you with dinner and help you unload all of your bags. The trip concludes Saturday morning after breakfast and clean up. Please plan to depart by 9:00 am. We are happy to accommodate your travel plans so please contact our office if you need special arrival or departure plans. Please note the July 17-22 trip is scheduled as a Sunday-Friday trip and will conclude Friday morning at 9:00 am.